Darkest Before Dawn
by Shoujax
Summary: This is a Fanfic in association with Xerios’s Transformer fanfiction: The Dark Side of the Sun. I do not now nor do I ever claim to own anything transformer related. All rights are owned by Hasbro.
1. Chapter 1

Disclamer: I do not now, or ever, claim to own the rights to transformers related names, subjects or places. All rights belong to Hasbro.

**Darkest Before Dawn**

By Joshua Cochran

In association with Xerios's Transformer fan-fiction: The Dark Side of the Sun.

**Chapter 1**

With a whoosh of the engines a ship emerged from the recesses of hyperspace in a galaxy many light years from its place of origin. Strange symbols were carved onto the outer hull. One could compare its shape to that of a minivan. Except this alien minivan was the size of a single-wide mobile home. And that it had only one occupant. Symbols bleeped and glowed on the control panel as the biological machine checked his instruments.

_This is definitely a long from home,_ he thought grimly to himself.

If he were to stand, he would tower at an incredible twenty-four and half feet tall. The same symbols that were carved onto his ship lined the visor surrounding his 'face.' He was sleeker in design than some members of his race, but still bulky in a sense. An Energon sword rested on his back, and his left arm contained a powerful energy beam cannon. The war between his people had hardened him into a serious warrior and even now, eons later, he was still doing his job.

After Lord High Protector Megatron had begun his war, Shoujax had not joined a side. It was only after Megatron had destroyed the entire city of Trion that he had made the decision to protect the Allspark on Optimus Prime's side. Decades later after all the fighting and lives lost he was horrified to learn that it was Optimus who made the decision to send the Allspark into space to keep it from Megatron's grasp. He replayed the argument he had with prime before he left on his own to find the Allspark.

"I served you, Optimus, because I knew you had the best chance of keeping your insane brother from the cube. And you go and do this!" Optimus was only slightly taller than Shoujax, but any Autobots watching could have sworn that didn't help any.

"I made the decision so no more sparks would be lost to this war. That is far more important than…"

"It completely destroyed everything we fought for!" Shoujax had always had the utmost respect for Prime, but now after decades of war he had finally begun to question his leader. "Our mission was to defeat Megatron. How are we supposed to rebuild our world now?"

If Optimus could show emotions, the expression he would have made would have been one of sorrow and regret.

"I understand how you feel. Believe me I do, but for right now Megatron does not have the cube, and we have a chance to claim it before he does."

Anger was overloading Shoujax's mental functions.

"And what if the cube is never found?! Did you consider that Prime?!"

Alarms were blaring around Cybertron. Earlier the order had been given for any surviving Autobots to evacuate to any habitable planet they found. The final alarm was a signal that it was safe to leave Cybertron. Optimus looked at Shoujax.

"I know your concerns, but this is our only option for the time. A team and I are going in The Ark to try and find it before Megatron can. I want you to..."

Shoujax held up a hand.

"No Optimus. I will go and find the cube, but not with you. You are my ally but forfeited my friendship when you enacted your foolish plan. I will go my own way and find the Allspark."

Shoujax proceeded to leave but turned and faced Optimus a final time.

"I pray we don't become extinct as a race for your mistake."

With a start he leaned forward to make sure his readings were correct.

_There was an energy signature that perfectly matched the Allspark._

He couldn't process it all at once. After several thousand years, he had found an energy signature almost identical to the Allspark.

"It took long enough."

Then another surprise loomed outside his ship. A much smaller ship that looked almost organic in a sense had just veered away from him.

_No time to worry about it now._

But he was wrong. No sooner had he processed this, that out of no where several dozen of the dart looking ships appeared and begun opening fire upon him.

_First Decepticons now these annoyances, it never ends._

Bringing his ship around he proceeded to open fire upon the nearest ship destroying it immediately.

_Good I need some excitement after the past few decades_.

He recalled the last galaxy he went through had been much more time consuming in terms of enemy fire. It was then he noticed a planet below him. He processed his options. Stay and fight an unknown enemy, or land on the planet and try to get his bearings. It was unfortunately in this moment his engines were hit.

As he spiraled towards the planet, his memory drives were working overtime. Swearing loudly in Cybertronian, he braced for impact as his ship slowly began to spiral down towards the planet, caught in the gravity.

_Primus, if I make it through this, remind me to add this to the memory banks as being another mess linked to Optimus._

He began to change his body into a re-entry form, knowing all too well he would have to leave his ship for his safety. His arms, legs and head began folding with the rest of his body until he resembled something like a large comet. A rock like substance began to engulf his body.

_Eject, _he told the ships computer and no sooner had he sent this command that he was hurtled out of his ship into the dead cold of space. Firing his thrusters on his vehicle mode, he began to descend towards the blue planet.


	2. Chapter 2

**Darkest Before Dawn**

By Joshua Cochran

In association with Xerios's Transformer fan-fiction: The Dark Side of the Sun.

**Chapter 2**

The heat was almost unbearable. As Shoujax rocketed down towards the planet he processed several things at once that he should have brought up from basic memory; one, never transform into re-entry mode within a planet's gravity well. Second and most importantly; make sure the planet you crash on isn't mostly water.

Long periods in water had that horrible habit of inducing stasis lock.

As he picked up speed he tried increasing his entry rockets as to shoot him closer to land. If any existed anywhere on this planet. He accepted his mistake and braced for the immanent stasis lock he knew awaited him below. As the water drew closer and closer, Shoujax began shutting down his major systems to prevent major water damage. For some unknown reason, his memory banks started playing back the audio and visual track he had with his brother back on Cybertron, right before he left. There was an explosion of water, and as he began to sink all he knew was darkness as he entered stasis lock.

The plasma cannon was in Shoujax's face before its owner could process who was on the receiving end.

"That was stupid Shoujax. Its bad enough you're stealthy, but being an Autobot doesn't help either."

Dreadscythe's Cybertron form greatly resembled that of Shoujax, but was much darker in tones. Despite the decades they had fought on their respective sides, they had a silent agreement to never fight each other. There had been many close calls, but every so often they had time for this. Shoujax and his brother were always close, even after the Great War began.

"Have you reconsidered joining The Lord High Protector Megatron?" Dreadscythe had always hoped his brother would eventually reactivate his logic circuits. Optimus Prime was a fool to oppose his brother. The more intelligent Cybertronians had joined his leader, and he still could not process why his own brother was so error prone.

"You know better than that. We both joined different sides so we could try and finish this was as quickly as possible."

"I know that, but things have changed. Our race is on the verge of extinction. Megatron wants us united. That way we can be strong as a race. That way we can show our power to the rest of the universe."

The two brothers looked at each other for a long time. If this war ever did end, whoever lost would be outcasts in their society. They knew and understood that.

"Megatron is gone. He left shortly after the Allspark was launched into space."

Shoujax was certainly unprepared for this.

"Optimus has also gone. He left with a crew on board The Ark. Odds are good we are the last two left on this planet."

There was a horrible silence.

"I'm going on my own to find the Allspark. What are your plans my brother?"

Dreadscythe looked long and hard at his sibling. He didn't know.

"I will go my own way for now and await Megatron's orders. They may never come but I will be ready when they arrive."

Bowing his head Shoujax turned to leave.

"We may never accept the other's view, but I wish you safe regardless."

Whatever Dreadscythe would have said, Shoujax never knew. Without warning a green beam sliced through the Cybertronian air right into his brother's spark chamber.

For a horrible moment he couldn't process what was happening.

"Autobot Sympathizer. Your weakness disgusts me."

Starscream floated above them, silent and deadly and had seized the opportunity to strike when they were most vulnerable. Shoujax couldn't control his functions in that next moment. He leapt at Starscream, Energon sword extended with a mad murderous Decepticon look in his visual cortexes. Starscream was already taking off. He was a coward by nature, preferring to strike and gloat. He continued taunting the traitor lay dying.

"Autobot or Autobot sympathizer your hypocrisy is…..AHHHHHH MY LEG!"

The sword sliced cleanly through Starscream's left leg. Shoujax was a faster flyer that Starscream. And Starscream had forgotten this crucial fact.

"You die today you coward."

He would have sliced into his foe's spark chamber had he been closer, but a nearby Decepticon auto turret took him out with a single shot. Spiraling downwards, Shoujax started shooting with his plasma cannon randomly wanting to hit Starscream. He missed and Starscream took the opportunity to flee while his enemy fell.

Starscream made it to the Decepticon warship Nemesis just as it was about to enter hyperspace.

"Let me in you fools! That slag circuit Autobot cut off my leg."

There was a roar of laughter inside the Nemesis. Starscream was let in and the ship prepared to jump into hyperspace.

"Silence you fools! As your leader I order you to fix me immediately! We're going after the Allspark. I took out a potential traitor and saw an Autobot wounded. I doubt we'll ever see him again."

Starscream was fixed many days later, but this incident remained fresh in the eyes of many of the Decepticons. Especially for two named Barricade and Brawl. They knew now that Starscream could be beaten, and so planned for the moment when they could take over the incompetent fool's place.

It took Shoujax many days to recover from that incident. He had been struck almost near his own spark chamber. When he returned to his brother's body, images of what he wanted to do to Starscream, once he found him, burned his brain. He cremated his brother per Cybertronian tradition then made ready to depart after the Allspark.

_I leave you now, my home and my brother. Neither of you will ever be deleted from memory. I will return with the Allspark and restore you, in the name of my brother._

With his ship well stocked with enough Energon to last him a transformer lifetime, he departed Cybertron and was lost to hyperspace.

As Shoujax slowly came out of his stasis lock, he could hear the ocean, but it was odd. He was dry and he could have sworn he was inside a building. Leaning forward he was startled to see many biological biped organisms in strange wrappings surrounding him. They were small compared to him. Not one came above his middle leg joint. As far as he could tell he was in a city. But what sort of beings could construct something so magnificent? The architecture reminded him very slightly of home. Snapping out of his own thoughts, he realized the beings below were attempting to talk to him.

But how could he reply if they couldn't understand him either?

One of the older looking Bi-peds came forward and raised his hand. Shoujax cautiously extend his hand and took the small device.

_If they wanted to cause me harm they would have while I was in stasis lock. This is their galaxy and if I am to escape here eventually I need allies._

Taking the device Shoujax connected it to his systems through a palm interface. Wires shot into the device and he connected with it.

"With any luck you should be able to comprehend us now."

Of all the things he was expecting, this was not one of them.

"That was a Universal Translation Device?"

The older individual nodded, which Shoujax took the gesture as an acknowledgement.

"Yes. My name is Moros. Welcome to our city. We are known as Lanteans."


	3. Chapter 3

**Darkest Before Dawn**

By Joshua Cochran

In association with Xerios's Transformer fan-fiction: The Dark Side of the Sun.

**Chapter 3**

"Yes. My name is Moros. Welcome to our city. We are known as Lanteans."

Despite the fact Shoujax had visited countless worlds nothing had prepared him for this: Sentient bipeds that had a level of technology to rival his own race. They had a floating city, universal translators, and apparently the technology to repair him.

"My name is Shoujax. I am an Autonomous Robotic Organism from the planet Cybertron. But my faction, in my race, are known as the Autobots."

"Well met, noble Autobot. As I stated before we are Lanteans. Forgive me but Cybertron is not a planet we are familiar with."

"My world is several thousand stars away. I have been in space for a great length. I have many questions and I ask only to be heard, am I a prisoner here or a guest?"

While he admitted to himself he needed allies, he still wanted his cannon to be ready just in case. Moros Smiled.

"My friend, if I may call you one, if we were truly enemies during the time you were offline we would have deactivated you. We realize the need for trust in these troubled times but it is not our intention to harm those we do not know."

"You have an interesting way of showing it Moros. Why was I shot down in high orbit over this planet?"

"The fault is not our own but of our enemy known as the Wraith. We have fought with them for many, many years but while we maintain technological superiority, they far outnumber us."

_Out of one war and straight into another. What are the odds?_

"I see then I retract my prior accusation. My species has long been divided over our own great war."

A new biped who identified herself as Ganos Lal addressed Shoujax.

"While we regret what happened to you, I'm afraid you cannot leave. We are about to submerge the city. We have repaired as many of your systems as we could, but regrettably we could not repair all of them." Shoujax immediately began an internal diagnosis.

To his horror, he realized she spoke the truth.

The area surrounding his spark chamber as well as his weapons and escape velocity thrusters were still at a critical low in stability. Departure right then and there would almost certainly result in worse than stasis lock possibilities. That and his ship was destroyed. He would not be able to complete his mission. And the Allspark was still somewhere in this galaxy. He could feel his own spark resonate with it.

"I cannot depart. However, it is against my code not to offer assistance if I can help. I will assist you in anyway I can."

_Several __months later…_

During his months with the Lanteans Shoujax learned much from them. They even allowed him to scan one of their smaller craft so he could assist them in their fight. And they had shown him their wonderful creation called a Stargate. But as the months went on and he had long since recovered, he began to realize Moros was right.

The Lanteans were loosing their war.

It was also during this time that a time traveling Dr. Weir arrived. At his request Shoujax's existence was not made known to her, and he stayed out of her sight. Moros questioned him about this, but Shoujax knew he needed to stay away from her or else change the future.

The future he knew he would catch up to one day if his plan worked.

Many hours later, true to Ganos Lal's word many months earlier, they submerged their city. Evacuations began later that day after a transport filled with Lanteans refugees was destroyed en route. Shoujax knew he could not go with them when they departed for a planet called Earth, in another galaxy entirely. He might loose his chance entirely of finding the Allspark and he wasn't prepared to do that.

"Moros, my friend, I must stay here in this galaxy and await the arrival of my kind. The Allspark is here, somewhere, and I must be here when my people arrive."

Moros and Shoujax smiled sadly at each other. They had grown very used to each other's company and the other would be sorely missed.

"Then it is farewell my friends. I hope you find what you seek."

"I have one last favor to request of you."

"Name it."

Shoujax knew and accepted this would happen eventually.

"I will transform into my other mode and when I do I need you to deactivate all by my spark management system." Moros's shock was understandable.

"My kind will come one day as I said, but until they do I wish to remain dormant.You and your kind I may never see again, but I wish you luck." Shoujax changed into his ship form and landed in a hidden room in the hanger area and Moros entered.

"Thank you for everything Noble Autobot Shoujax. I have set the controls to awaken you when another spark is detected in this city again. That way if it is one of those Decepticons, you'll at least have the chance to defend yourself. I wish you luck."

"I wish you luck too, old friend. Farewell"

With the last command entered into him, Shoujax felt all conscious thought processes become dormant. His brother and Cybertron both on his mind, He drifted into an odd state of stasis lock.

Moros exited his friend, shut the rear hatch and closed the secret room. With that done he left with the others of his kind and Atlantis was quiet. Time passed and humans from earth rediscovered Atlantis thousands of years later. They fought the wraith, moved Atlantis to a new planet after a time and did many great things the Lanteans would have been proud of. But throughout it all, the unknown passenger laid dormant.

Waiting, sleeping and never knowing when his people would finally arrive.

But it wasn't until his sensors picked up a spark that Shoujax finally woke up.


End file.
